Machine for closing the flaps of a foldable carton at one end prior to the filling operation



March 27, 1956. H. E. DOBSON 2,739,513

MACHINE FOR CLOSING- THE FLAPS OF A FOLDABLE CARTON AT ONE END PRIOR TO THE FILLING OPERATION Filed Oct. 16, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l l WEFHIILIIW 2.

IN V EN TOR. K/HRQY E. 00880 March 27, 1956 H. E. DOBSON 2,739,513

MACHINE FOR CLOSING THE FLAPS OF A FOLDABLE CARTON AT one END PRIOR TO THE FILLING OPERATION Filed Oct. 16, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

MACHINE FDR CLOSING FLAPS OF A FOLD- ABLE CARTON AT ONE END PRIOR TO THE FlLLING QPERATIUN Harry Edward Dobson, Five Dock, New South Wales, Australia Application October 16, 1953, Serial No. 386,560 Claims priority, application Australia October 23, 1952 4 Claims. (Cl. 93-3615) This invention relates to a machine for closing the flaps of a foldable carton at one end prior to the filling operation.

An object of the present invention is to provide a machine which closes the flaps at the lower end of a carton when opened up to its tubular formation and in an upright position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine which closes the flaps at the lower end of a carton when opened up to its tubular formation and in an upright position and which holds the carton in position for filling and retains the flaps at the upper end in open position.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a machine which folds in sequence the end 'flaps and the side flaps at the lower end of a carton when opened up to its tubular formation and in an upright position and positions the carton for the filling operation.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a machine which is positive in action, highly efiicient, and commercially practical.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the carton flap folding machine of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary diagrammatic side view of the machine of Figure l, the full line showing indicating the position of the horizontally disposed arms after the opened up carton has been placed in upright position between the guide members and before the fold ing of the end flaps has commenced, and the dotted line showing indicating the position of such arms and the end flaps after partial execution of the folding 'operation.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary diagrammatic side view corresponding to Figure 2 indicating the .position of the horizontally disposed arms and the end flaps after full execution of the folding operation.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary diagrammatic end view of the machine of Figure 1 showing the position of the pair of side flap folding arms after the opened up carton with its end flaps folded has been moved so its side flaps contact said arms, but before the folding of the side flaps has commenced.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary diagrammatic end view corresponding to Figure 4 indicating the position of the pair of side flap folding arms after partial execution of the folding operation of the side flaps of the carton.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the machine of Figure 1 showing the opened up carton in position therein with its flaps at the lower end completely folded to closed position and its end flaps at nited rates Patent 0 2. the top and the top sideflap 'at the front folded outwardly, the carton being tilted forwardly for the filling operation.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a foldable carton in its fiat collapsed formation.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10, Figure '1, designates a base which isshown in Figure l as in the form of a hollow open ended rectangular shaped conduit having a slot 11 in its upper side extending from one end to the other of the open ends of the conduit. Carried by the under side of the conduit are a pair of feet 12 which are adapted to be secured to a floor surface, each of such members being provided with spaced apertures 13 for the extension therethrough of a .securing element, such as a lag screw. A pair of guide members 14 arranged in upright spaced relation rise from and are fixedly carried by the conduit base 10, the lower end of each guide member having a plate 15 which rests upon and is adjustably secured to the upper side of said conduit base by means of a bolt 16 extending slidably through the slot 11 and through the plate with the projecting end of the bolt engaged by a nut 17. As will be apparent from Figures 4 and 5, the bolt 16 has on its lower end a V-shaped head 18 which holds the bolt within the slot 11.

A pair of arms 20 arranged in end to end spaced relation are positioned in a horizontal plane intermediate the ends of the guide members 14, each arm being connected to the adjacent guide member for swinging movement from the horizontal plane position to a position at an angle with respect to the horizontal plane position. The facing end portions of the arms 20 are within the space between the guide members 14. The

connection of the arms 21) to the guide members 14 is the same, the connection of only one of such arms being specifically described. As shown in Figure 1, each of the guide members 14 is provided with a guide plate 19 projecting therefrom and is also in the form of a hollow rectangular shaped conduit with the upper end bridged by an arch 21, the conduit having a slot 22 formed in its front face and extending from its lower en'd'to its upper end. A plate 23 is positioned intermediate the ends of the guide member 14 and extends across the slot containing face thereof, such plate being secured to the guide member 14 by means of bolt and nut assemblies 24 and 25 extending slidably through the slot 22 and through the plate 23. An arm 20 has the portion adjacent the end remote from the facing end portion pivotal'ly connected to a horizontal axis or pin 26 for swinging movement about such axis or pin, the pin being carried by -a housing 27 arranged transversely and exteriorly of the guide member 14 and fixedly secured to the guide member. To the end of the arm 20 remote from the facing end portion is connected one end of a coil spring 2?), the other .end of the spring beingc'onnected to a pin 29 carried by the plate 23. The co'ilsp'ring 28 or spring means biases the arm to its horizontal plane position, the intermediate portion of the arm being caused by the spring to bear against a stop 30 projecting from the plate The facing end portion of the arm 20 carries a roller 31 which is adapted to rollably engage the .guide member when the arm has been swung to its complete angular position as shown in Figure 3. v

A pairof levers Hand 35 arranged in crisscross relation are positioned below each of the facing end ,por-

tions or" the arms 20 and are mounted for opposite swinging movement about a common horizontal axis extending transversely 'of the guide members 14, the

levers having arms 34a and a respectively, which in the normal position of said levers are arranged in upwardly divergent relation. By reference to Figure 1 it will be seen that a pair of rods 32 and 33 arranged in superimposed spaced relation are fixedly connected at their ends to the guide members 14 by means of complemental clamping blocks 36 and 37 which are secured to the guide members by clamping bolts 37 extending through the slots 22 of the guide members 14, the upper rod 32 serving as a pivot rod or common horizontal axis and the lower rod 33 serving as a spacer rod. Each pair of levers 34 and 35 is mounted on the rod 32, the lever 34 being secured intermediate its ends to a bushing 38 rotatably carried by the rod 32, and the lever 35 being secured intermediate its ends to a bushing 39 also rotatably carried by the rod 32. By virtue of the described mountings of the levers 34 and 35, the arms 34a and 35a thereof are mounted for up and down swinging movement about the aforesaid common horizontal axis extending transversely of the guide members 14. Spring means operatively connects the levers 3d and 35 together for biasing the levers to a normal position in which their arms 34a. and 35a occopy an upwardly divergent relation, such spring means embodying a coil spring 40 having one end connected'to the lower end of the lever 34 and a coil spring 41 having one end connected to the lower end of the lever 35, the other ends of the springs 46 and 41 being connected together by a U shaped link 42. The lever 34 has a stop 43 and the lever 35 also has a stop 44, the respective stops engaging the spacer rod 33 and limiting the upward movement of the levers.

Attached to the spacer or lower rod 33 is a bar 45, the bar extending perpendicularly from the rod and having slidably and adjustably mounted thereon a buffer plate 46. The bar 45 and buffer plate 46 serve to hold the carton in correct filling position, the bar having the closed end of the carton resting thereon with the buffer plate contacting the front face of the carton.

Positioned above and spaced from each arm 20 and fixed to the adjacent guide member 14- is a spring biased holder 50. These holders serve to retain the end flaps at the top of the carton in outwardly extended position during the filling operation. Each holder embodies a frame 51 fixed to the associated guide member 14, the frame having a spring biased roller 52 which engages the top end fiap of the carton during the filling operation.

In operation of the machine, the carton 55 in its fiat collapsed formation, Figure 7, is opened up to the tubular formation and is then placed in an upright position between the guide members 14 with the end flaps 56 at the lower end in contact withthe facing end portions of the arms 20, Figure 2, whereupon force is applied to the body of the carton to cause the carton to move downwardly between the guide members. This downward movement of the carton results in the end flaps 56 exerting a force upon the arms 20 to cause the arms to execute their down movement against the action of the springs 28 and fold the end flaps 56 to their closed position over the lower end of the upright carton, Figures 2 and 3. Continued application of force to the body of the carton next results in the side flaps 57 at the lower end being brought into contact with and exerting a force upon the upwardly divergent arms 34a and 35a of the associated pair of levers 34 and 35 to depress said arms against the action of the springs 40 and 41 and fold the side flaps to their closed position. It is to be noted that upon depression of the pairs of arms 34a and 35a to their full extent, such arms lie substantially in a common horizontal plane.

With the carton having the end flaps 56 andside flaps 57 folded to closed position, a force isapplied to the carton to cause the bushings 38 and 39 carrying the pairs of arms 34a and 35a to turn on their common Al x axis or pivot rod 32 to a degree such as to tilt the carton toward the operator who is to fill the carton, Figure 6. The end flaps 58 at the top of the carton are then folded outwardly and placed under the respective rollers 52 of the holders 5!} and the front one of the side flaps 59 is also folded outwardly to facilitate filling of the carton.

Having fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine for folding the flaps at the lower end of an upright opened up carton into closed position prior to filling the carton comprising a pair of guide members arranged in upright spaced relation, a pair of arms arranged in end to end spaced relation positioned in a horizontal plane intermediate the ends of said guide members and each arm connected to the adjacent guide member for swinging movement from the horizontal plane position to a position at an angle with respect to the horizontal plane position, the facing end portions of said arms being within the space between the guide members, and a pair of arms normally arranged in upwardly divergent relation positioned below each of the facing end portions of said first named pair of arms and mounted for up and down swinging movement about a common horizontal axis extending transversely of said guide members.

2. A machine for folding the flaps at the lower end of an upright opened up carton into closedv position prior to filling the carton comprising a pair of guide members arranged in upright spaced relation, a pair of arms arranged in endto end spaced relation positioned in a horizontal plane intermediate the ends of said guide members and each arm connected to the adjacent guide member for swinging movement from the horizontal plane positioned to a position at an angle with respect to the horizontal plane position, the facing end portions of said arms being Within the space between the guide members, spring means operatively connected to each of the arms of said first named pair of arms for biasing the arm to its horizontal plane position, a pair of arms normally arranged in upwardly divergent relation positioned below each of the facing end portions of said first named pair of arms and mounted for up and down swinging movement about a common horizontal axis extending transversely of said guide members, and spring means operatively connected to each pair of arms for biasing the arms to their normally upwardly divergent relation.

3. A machine for folding the flaps at the lower end of an upright opened up carton into closed position prior to filling the carton comprising a pair of guide members arranged in upright spaced relation, a pair of arms arranged in end' to end spaced relation positioned in a horizontal plane intermediate the ends of said guide members and each arm connected to the adjacent guide member for swinging movement about a horizontal axis from the horizontal plane position to a position at an angle with respect to the horizontal plane position, the facing end portions of said arms being within the space between the guide members, a pair of arms normally arranged in upwardly divergent relation positioned below each of the facing end portions of said first named pair of arms and mounted for up and down swinging movement about a common horizontal axis extending transversely of said guide members, and means cooperating with said last named pairs of arms for supporting the carton in a forwardly-tilted filling position.

4. A machine for folding the flaps at the lower end of an upright opened up carton into closed position prior to filling the carton comprising a pair of guide members arranged in upright spaced relation, a pair of arms arranged in end to end spaced relation positioned in a horizontal plane intermediate the ends of said guide members and each arm connected to the adjacent guide members for swinging movement from 5 the horizontal plane position to a position at an angle with respect to the horizontal plane position, the facing end portions of said arms being within the space between the guide members, a pair of arms normally arranged in upwardly divergent relation positioned below each of the facing end portions of said first named pair of arms and mounted for up and down swinging movement 6 about a common horizontal axis extending transversely of said guide members, and a spring biased holder spaced above each of the arms of the first named pair of arms and carried by the associated guide member.

No references cited. 

